COMEDY CENTRAL® Launches CC:Stand-Up Direct A New Distribution Platform Featuring Downloadable And Streaming Stand-Up Content
Fans Get Access to Uncut, Uncensored Stand-Up with Unlimited Streams and Downloads On Multiple Platforms for $5 per Special

NEW YORK, July 11, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- COMEDY CENTRAL today announces the launch of CC:Stand-Up Direct, a new distribution platform that delivers unlimited streams and downloads of uncut, uncensored stand-up specials, further expanding the multiplatform footprint of the #1 brand in comedy.

The new initiative, available at ccdirect.comedycentral.com, provides fans of stand-up comedy with unprecedented ease of access to a wide range of stand-up content at an affordable price ($5 per special) and provides comedians featured on CC:Stand-Up Direct with a new revenue stream and an important promotional platform that will expose them to millions of stand-up fans via COMEDY CENTRAL's multiple brand extensions including the channel, cc.com, Comedy Central Certified Clubs, COMEDY CENTRAL Radio and COMEDY CENTRAL Live Entertainment.

As of today's launch, CC:Stand-Up Direct features 22 original one-hour stand-up specials from comedians such as Daniel Tosh, Anthony Jeselnik, Chris Hardwick, Nick Kroll, Jeff Ross and John Mulaney (full list of talent/specials below). Additional titles will be added to the platform over the coming months along with new specials which will be made available for purchase just days after their premieres on COMEDY CENTRAL.

"COMEDY CENTRAL is committed to stand-up and to expanding the brand outward via a multitude of platforms to reach our fans where they consume content," said Michele Ganeless, President, COMEDY CENTRAL. "CC:Stand-Up Direct presents a great platform for COMEDY CENTRAL to deliver even more content to our fans where and when they want it."

"Our goal with CC:Stand-Up Direct was to develop a platform that is as easy to use as possible," said Erik Flannigan, EVP Multi-Platform Strategy & Development, Viacom Entertainment Group. "The comedians who launched their own download sites set the bar high in terms of a great fan experience, so we took the best of that approach and added COMEDY CENTRAL's marketing and promotional capabilities on all screens."

Technology has amplified COMEDY CENTRAL's ability to reach its fans on multiple platforms. Last month, the brand launched the innovative free video app CC:Stand-Up and with the debut of CC:Stand-Up Direct, COMEDY CENTRAL continues to provide stand-up comedians with a path to success in ways no other adult entertainment property can come close to matching.

Ooyala, a leading cross-device platform for premium video, is powering all of the video for both the desktop and mobile web for CC:Stand-Up Direct. Ooyala technology drives the streaming and download to own experience and enables CC:Stand-Up Direct to reach a large number of devices, including 98 percent of Android devices via Ooyala's Hook application.

For clips, trailers, and other behind-the-scenes content visit www.cc.com/stand-up or the CC: Stand-Up Facebook page, download the CC: Stand-Up app for iOS devices and Xbox Live, follow @ccstandup on Twitter and listen to COMEDY CENTRAL Radio, exclusively on SiriusXM.

Available on-air, online and on-the-go, COMEDY CENTRAL (www.cc.com) is the #1 brand in comedy and is owned by, and is a registered trademark of, Comedy Partners, a wholly-owned unit of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA and VIAB). For up-to-the-minute and archival press information and photographs visit COMEDY CENTRAL's press Web site at www.cc.com/press and follow us on Twitter @ComedyCentralPR for the latest in breaking news updates, behind-the-scenes information and photos.